Friday December 19, 2008 5:00 am Lethbridge

The next step is to read and make notes for Marinoff's description of The Buddha's philosophy. How do I do this? I begin by simply reading the chapter, but with a pencil in my right hand. Whenever I encounter a particularly "good" sentence or paragraph, I make a mark in the margin. Then when I begin to make notes I focus on those marks and make a decision on whether to include them in these web pages. Having read the complete chapter first, I have a better sense of what to include. Also I then get to read the chapter at a more normal speed the first time. So making the notes, is actually my second pass though the chapter, and thus acts as a form of review. I have now read this chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2/3 of the chapter as it was a very clear account of the history and basic ideas of Buddhism. But the last 1/3 seemed to shift to a campaign to get one to believe in the sect that Marinoff believes in. In my view, this falls into the very trap that Marinoff decries - proselytizing rather than trusting in the individual to make their own choices. I wonder if I will still feel this way after I make some notes.

Chap. 3 Buddha's Middle Way

• Here are the main section sub-headings:
  • Buddhism and the Philosopher's Stone
  • Buddha's Reform of Indian Philosophy: The Middle Way
  • Theravada and Mahayana; Samsara and Nirvana
  • More on The Middle Way
  • Impermanence, Momentariness, and Emptiness
  • Where Buddha Went
  • Tibetan Buddhism
  • Zen Buddhism
  • Nichiren Buddhism
  • From B to C

Buddhism and the Philosopher's Stone

• "So Westerners initially viewed Buddhism through the lens of Western philosophies and cultures. Yet it swiftly became a lens through which Westerners can better view their own philosophies and cultures." [p. 73]
  

  This is the same argument that is made for learning a second language.

• "Unlike Buddha, most Western philosophers maintained belief in the supremacy of reason alone, and the discovery of reliable knowledge, as the solver of human problems and the arbiter of human conflicts. ... yet Western philosophers paid insufficient attention to the desires, attachments, and aversions that cloud human thought and haunt human action." [p. 75]
  
  
• "... he [Buddha] saw deeper and went further than any philosopher - Western or Eastern, Aristotelian or Confucian - in developing comprehensible and reliable methods for attaining complete fulfillment in this very life." [p. 77]

Buddha's Reform of Indian Philosophy: The Middle Way

• "... the essence of The Middle Way is 'reverence for the sanctity of life - one's own life, the lives of other people, the life of non-human nature and all its extensive and intricate interrelations - coupled with the determination to make this reverence the basis for all one's actions ..." [p. 79]
  
  
• "... when the value of human dignity and life is accorded this kind of centrality, there can be no question of compromise or accommodation with forces of destruction and divisiveness that would threaten life or undermine our humanity." [p. 79]
  
  
• "So how can we be uncompromising yet nonviolent? ... The only truly effective means to do this is dialogue, based on a firm recognition of our mutual humanity, and guided by an unflinching commitment to the ideal of harmonious coexistence." [p. 79]
  
  
• "This is why Buddha begins with the Four Noble Truths, which contain the theory and practice of such harmonious coexistence, both personally and interpersonally." [p. 79]
  
  
• "Buddha's first truth is that life entails suffering. ... This prepares us for the next steps: understanding suffering's causes and cures." [p. 79]
  
  
• "Buddha's second truth is that suffering has causes." [p. 80]
  
  
• "Buddha's third truth is that the causes of suffering can be removed." [p. 81]
  
  
• "Buddha's fourth truth is a set of explicit practices for accomplishing this task. ... It is often called the eightfold way, because there are eight interwoven strands of practice for diminishing suffering." [p. 81]
  
  
• "These eight are: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration." [p. 81]

  These 8 ways require elaboration. There are many excellent description of these in numerous books (and web sites) on Buddhism.

  • 1. right view - "understanding suffering and its causes and cures"
  • 2. right intention - "maintaining good and harmless will ... toward oneself and others"
  • 3. right speech - "understanding the power of our words, for better or worse, upon ourselves and others"
  • 4. right action - "doing most things in moderation, but also refraining from taking life ..."
  • 5. right livelihood - "earning one's living in helpful ways"
  • 6. right effort - " approaching challenges, opportunities, and obstacles in constructive and not destructive ways"
  • 7. right mindfulness - "cultivating presence of mind, alertness and awareness of your body, your emotions, your thoughts, and your environment
  • 8. right concentration - "developing one's mental powers of attentiveness, visualization, insight, and compassion" [p. 81]
    
    
• "Note that the eightfold path neither mentions nor requires belief in supernatural beings (i.e. gods), sacred scriptures, afterlives (e.g. heaven and hell), reincarnaitons, or rituals." [p. 81 - 82]
  
  
• "In Buddha's system you actively will your future, by virtue of what you think, say, and do in the present." [p. 83]

This is a concise description of the fundamental tenants of Buddhism. Everything else is either clarification (good) or the development of a "religion" (not so good).

Theravada and Mahayana; Samsara and Nirvana

• "As with the Abrahamic faiths, the religious manifestations of Buddhism are quite sectarian. The main historical bifurcation is between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhists." [p. 84]
  
  
• "Thervada is more traditional. ... Mahayana sought to reinterpret and popularize ..." [p. 84]
  
  
• "Samsara is the wheel of suffering, to which unawakened humans are fettered by the cravings of their grasping minds." [p. 85]
  
  
• "Nirvana is a complement (in the Taoist sense), not a polar opposite, of Samsara." [p. 85]
  
  
• "Christians and Theravada Buddhists tend to conceptualize nirvana as a kind of Heaven, to which they must earn admission. Mahayana Buddhism teaches that nirvana is not separate from samsara (there are no separate realities); rather it is a state of coolness that results from extinguishing the flames of unwholesome craving." [p. 85]

These are four key terms (i.e. concepts) in Buddhist literature.

More on The Middle Way

• "... the practice of Buddhism fosters positive feedback loops, and eschews negative ones." [p. 88]

This is incorrect. Marinoff is confusing two different uses of positive and negative. A positive feedback loop is one that increases the effect (eventually growing without bound) whereas a negative feedback loop reduces (i.e. dampens) the effect. Marinoff is describing the connotation of the loop, whether it is positive or negative.

• "I have been involved with assorted Buddhist communities ... and have observed that a significant proportion of participants are seeking psychological help - often some kind of psychotherapy from the resident lama, roshi, or sensei - as contrasted with the philosophical self-sufficiency that Buddhist practice inculcates." [p. 89]

Impermanence, Momentariness, and Emptiness

• "Buddhism makes us aware of the impermanence of all phenomenas ... Buddhism teaches us to experience the momentary nature of all these phenomena. Not only are they impermanent, they also have no continuous existence. Just like quantum particles, neon lights, and Web pages, they flash in and out of being." [p. 90]

  I love the inclusion of Web pages in this description!

The remainder of the chapter describes some of the differences among the different sectarian groups within Buddhism. Why must we continually form "communities"?

Tags: philosophy, religion

A fascinating, dark novel with many parallels to life today. The story has a rich cast of memorable characters. The setting is superb, and appropriate. The contrast of the power of nature with the equally fascinating power of human nature is superbly told. There is morality on every page, yet it is often subtle.

I would rate this book as 5 out of 5.

Tags: novel, Oates, USA